Removable neck for power control units



Sept. 10, 1940. R. G. LE TOURNEAU 2,214,170

REMOVABLE NECK FOR POWER CONTROL UNITS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 26, 1939 INVENTOR R. GlleTourlzeaw Q... ?=.m$,s1

ATTORNEY Sept. 10, 1940. R; G. LE TOURNEAU 2,214,170

REMOVABLE NECK FOR POWER CONTROL UNITS Filed April 26, 1959 2 Sh eetsSheet 2 INVENTOR R. GLefoz/uyzeau BY gkwg. u

ATTORN EY Patented Sept.

UNITED STATES I 2,214,170 REMOVABLE NECK FOR POWER- CONTROL UNITS c Robert G. Le Tom-man, Peoria, 111., assignor to R. G. Le -ifournean, Inc., a corporation Application April 26, 1939, Serial No. 270,146

7 1 12'C1aims.

This invention relates to a power. hoist or cable control unit, of the type now widelymounted on tractors, in the ,formof an attachment, and which derives its power from the take-off shaft of the tractor. Such a unit includes a housing having a flange adapted to be bolted onto the one provided on the transmission housing of the tractor about the opening giving access to the power'take-off shaft. The unit also includes a 0 shaft adapted 'to be coupled to the take-01f shaft.

Tractors of different makes and types have different forms of flanges and bolt-hole drilling, and the operating speed of their take-off shafts vary somewhat, andit has been considerednecessary heretofore to make a different'model of power unit for each type oftractor. Since the unit comprises many more parts than this housing flange and coupling shaft, and as a whole is quite expensive, a. heavy cost burden is placed on the factory or supply house attempting to carry all the different models in stock, as well as an individual user who may have two or more different tractors, but'only needs one power unit at any one time.

It is therefore the main object of my invention to avoid the above objectionable features by construction of the power control unit with a removable neck. This not only includes the tractor engaging flange, but the coupling shaft and a train of gears also. These parts,are removable with the neck from the main housing of the power unit merely by removing a few boltsand without disturbing the remaining parts of the unit in any way. At the same time, the gear train is readily removable from the neck itself, so that trains having different gear ratios may be mounted therein.

By this means, it is a simple and relatively inexpensive matter to adapt one power unit for use with any type or model tractor, and to arrange the gearing so that any desired and proper .drum speed of the unit may be attained regardless of any variations in the operating speed of i the take-off shafts of such difierent models of tractor.

'These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fullyappear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a front end elevation of the removable neck as mounted on the main housing of a power control unit.

PATENT OFFICE Figure 21s a vertical. section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Figure 3, is a cross-section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, with the gearing and bearings removed. v

Referring now. more particularly to the char- 5 acters of reference on the drawings, the power control unit of which the neck forms a part, comprises essentially a main housing i containing a driving gear .2, which operates the cable drum 3, a control clutch and brake unit 4 being interposed between the drum. and gear. The operating mechanism of these features of the'unit forms no part of this invention, and may be; the same as that shown in my Patent No. 1,912,645 dated June 6, 1933.. 1 g A The removable neck which is the subject of this invention, comprises a vertical plate 5 disposed in front of the housing centrally of the width and extending from top to bottom thereof. This plate is provided with a rim flange 6 drilled'for a plurality of cap screws 1 and adapted to abut against an endlessbead 8 of similar configuration secured on the front of thehous'ing and topped for the capscrews at points to registerv with the holesin flange 6. The plate '5, which in the main is spaced in front of the housing an'appreciable' distance is thus mounted in oil'tight relation with the front wall of the-housing i, which has an opening 9 extending upwardly some distance from the bottom between the vertical runs of bead 8.

Removably secured in plate 5 near the bottom is a bearing i0 fora stub shaft II. This shaft extends ahead of the bearing some distance and is splined as at l2 for detachable driving engagement with the coupling extension i3v by which connection is made with the power take-off shaft of the tractor as usual.

Rearwardly of bearing lo, the shaft carries a pinion ll meshing with a gear l5 above,.the bearing l0. being of greaterdiameter than the -pinion.- I I This gear is mounted 'on a shaft" it supported ahead of the gear in. a bearing II removably mounted in plate 5. A pinion l8 formed in shaft I6 rearwardly of the gear meshes with main gear 2 when the plate is bolted in place, the gear and pinions projecting through opening 9 in the housing I. I The plate 5 is extended under and rearwardly of pinion l4 and into housing I in the form of a rigid trough l9 which at its rear end is practically integral with an upstanding relatively small plate 20 which is bored to support a bearing 2| for'the Russuw rear end of shaft II. The trough forms an oil catch, so that pinion M will always run in oil.

Another plate 22 is removably secured by cap screws 23 against the back face of plate 20 and projects thereabove. The plate 22 is bored to receive the bearing 2|, so that the latter helps to support said plate, and is also bored above plate 20 for the reception of the bearing 24 for the rear end of shaft l6. It will thus be seen that the upper shaft and gearing unit thereon can here"- moved by first removing plate 22 and then shifting shaft l6 rearwardly until it clears bearing II, or if the bearing is fixed on the shaft, until the bearing clears its seat in plate 6. Likewise, shaft I I and the pinion thereon can be withdrawn upon pulling bearing III ahead and clear of plate 5, since as stated, the pinion I4 is smaller than said bearing and can pass through the bore provided therefor in the seat. These operations can of course only be carried out when the neck is detached and the gearing and shaft units are in the open. This arrangement enables pinion and gear units H and I5 of different sizes, within certain limits, to be employed, while maintaining the pinion l8 always the one size however, so that the speed ratio between shaft" and gear 2 may be altered to maintain a predetermined drum opcrating speed irrespective of the operating speed flange can be quickly bolted thereto.

ofthetake-ofl shaft. 7

Rigid or integral with plate- 6 and projecting ahead of the same in surrounding relation to shaft II and bearing 10 is a sleeve 25 which terminates' in a flange 26 of the size and configuration of the flange 2'! ofthe transmission housing 28 of the tractor, and which as stated-in the preamble, is provided on the tractor about the takeofl' shaft opening. This flange 26' is drilled for bolts, or studs, as at 29 to match the tapped holes in the tractor flange, so that upon removal of the cover plate of the latter flange, the neck The flange 25 has of course a central opening 30 through which the bearing llbcan be inserted and through (which shaft l'l projects.

4| The flange 26, while rigid with sleeve 25, is not integral therewith so that if desired it can be removed and another one of a different size or drilling, to fit a different tractor, put in its place with a minimum of labor and expense.

To remove the neck; itis only necessary to remove cap' screws I, lower the neck suiflciently for the top of plate 22 to clear gear 2, and then pull the neck horizontally until the rearwardly extending parts are clear of the front wall of the housing.

It will be noted that the power control unit shown is of the two-drum type, and as shown in said Patent No.'1,912,645, has a pair of maingears 2 meshing with each other; the driving pinion l8 engaging only one or said gears as shown in the patent and as indicated in Fig. 1 of this application. Since the drums should always turn in the same direction, this has heretofore necessitated two different units for use with take-off shafts rotating in opposite directions.

It will be noted that the shaft I6, and the corresponding bearings therefor in plates 5 and 22, are laterally offset from. the verticalmedian line of the unit, so as to dis se the pinion H3 in position to engage one gear 2 only. With the present removable neck it is onlynecessary to bore the plates 5 and 22 on one side or the other of said median line, in order to enable the pinion particular tractor for which any model neck is intended.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such "a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a. departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a power control unit, a casing by which the mechanism of the unit is supported, a stub shaft projecting from the casing for connection with the take-off shaft of a tractor, a flange about said stub shaft adapted to be removably secured against a corresponding flange onthe tractor, and means removably mounting the first named flange on the casing whereby different flanges, to suit different tractor flanges, may be used with the one casing.

2. In a power control mechanism, a main gear, a casing supporting said gear and enclosed therein, said casing including a vertical'front wall having an opening therein extending below the gear, a neck removably mounted on said wall'over the opening and adapted for mounting against the transmission housing of a tractor, a horizontal shaft mounted inthe neck and, adapted for connection with the power take-off shaft of such tractor, a pinion supported by the neck within the casing in the horizontal plane of said wall opening and engaging the main gear, and gearing mounted as a unit with and connecting said first namedshaft and the pinion.

3. In a power control mechanism, a main gear, a casing supporting said gear and enclosed therein, said casing including a vertical front wall havingan opening therein extending below the gear, a neck removably mounted on said wall over the opening and adapted for mounting against the transmission'housing of a tractor, a horizontal shaft mounted in the neck and adapted to connection with the power take-off shaft of such tractor, a pinion supported by the neck within the casing in the'horizontal plane of said wall opening and engaging the main gear, and meshin, said casing including a vertical front wall having an opening therein extending below the gear, a neck removably mounted on said wall over the opening and adapted for mounting against the transmission housing of a tractor, a horizontal shaft in the neck adapted at its forward end for connection with the power take-off shaft of such tractor, said neck shaft projecting rearwardly through the casing opening to a termination rearwardly of the gear therein, mounting means for said shaft both ahead and rearwardly of the gear in supported connection with the neck, another shaft parallel to said first named shaft, and projecting through said casing opening, means mounting said other shaft both ahead and rearwardly of the gear in supported connection with the neck,.a pinion on said other shaft engaging said gear and gear elements mounted of the main gear comprises a circular bearingmember mounted in the neck and removable by a forward movement; said member being of greater diameter than the adjacent gear element.

6. In a power control mechanism, a main gear, a casing supporting said gear and enclosed therein, said casing includinga vertical front wall having an opening therein extending below the gear, a neck removably mounted on said wall over the opening and adapted for mounting against the transmission housing of a tractor, a horizontal shaft in the neck adapted at its forward end for connection with the power takeoff shaft of such tractor, said neck shaft projecting rearwardly through the casing opening to a termination rearwardly of the gear therein, a bearing member for said shaft mounted in the neck ahead of the main gear, another bearing member forthe rear end of said shaft, a rigid element extending from-the neck ahead of the a casing supporting said gear and enclosed therein, said casing including a vertical front wall having an, opening therein extending below the gear, a neck removably mounted on said wall over the opening and adapted for mounting against the transmission housing of a tractor, a horizontal shaft in the neck adapted at its forward end for connection with the power take-off shaft of such tractor, said neck shaft projecting rearwardly through the casing opening to a termination rearwardly of the gear therein, a bearing member for said shaft mounted in the neck ahead of the.

main gear, another bearing member for the rear end of said shaft, a rigid element extending from the neck ahead of the casingopening to and supporting said other bearing member, another shaft parallel to and above said first named shaft, a

bearing mounted in the neck for said other shaft ahead of the main gear, a bearing for said other r shaft rearwardly of the main gear, a member rigid with said rigid element at its rearend supporting said last namedf bearing, a pinion on said other shaft engaging the main gear and gear elements connecting said shafts.

9. A structure as in claim 8, in which said bear' ing supporting member comprises a plate boredto receive the bearing, there being means removably being means removably securing said lastnamed,

- upstanding plate against the back side of the first named plate.

11. In a power control mechanism, a main gear,-

a casing supporting said gear, a shaft adapted for connection with the power take-offshaft-of a tractor, a pinion engaging the gear, a gear train. connecting said first named shaft and the pin- 'i on, and including another shaft on which said pinion and one gear of the train are mounted, and meansremovably mounting saidshafts in the casing, said means comprising a front member se-v cured on the casing'ajnd having bearings for said shafts adjacent one end thereof and a rear member rigid with said front member beyond the gearsv and having bearings for the adjacent ends of the shafts.

12. In a power control mechanism, a main gear, i

a casing supporting said gear, a shaft adapted for 'connection'with the power take-ofi shaft'of a tractor, a pinion engaging the gear, a gear train connecting said first named shaft and the pinion, and including another shaft on which said pinion and one gear of the train aremounted, and means removably mounting said shafts in the casim, said means comprising a front member secured on the casing and having bearings for said shafts adjacent the front end thereof, bearing elements forethe shafts at their rear, end, a member rigid with the front member extending at right angles to the shafts in the planeand bored to receive one of said bearing elements, a plate bored to receive the other bearing element and'means removably securing ROBERT a. re ro, 

